Matt's Five Favorite "Guy Friendly" Fictional Romances # 4, Jin & Sun Kwon (Lost)

Hello everyone, and welcome back to my month-long tribute to my favorite fictional romances that appear in traditionally "guy" oriented fiction (not that guys should feel ashamed of liking such things, please see the # 5 entry of this list for more of that rant). Already we have covered one of the longest-running dysfunctional marriages in cartoon (and television) history (# 5), but today I want to cover my vote for one of the sweetest, and saddest, romances in recent sci-fi memory:

I try not to have the same piece of pop culture show up in back to back months, but when this list hit me there was no way I couldn't include Jin & Sun, a.k.a. possibly my favorite couple in recent television. Though that may come from the fact that they also happen to be in possibly my favorite TV show of all time. Lost tried to do a little of everything during it's 6 year run, and attempted more than a few romantic pairings in their time.

Many of which were sabotaged by Jack's romance face.

But Jin & Sun, problems in their relationship (and occasional lapses in storytelling) aside, were one of the greats.

Sorry, Desmond & Penelope, you just *barely* missed out on this spot for The Constant alone.

Like most characters on Lost, Jin & Sun were survivors of Oceanic Air Flight 815, crash-landing on an island of mystery in the South Pacific. The picture we get of them at first is a pretty bad modern stereotype of the west's view on Asian culture; Jin is tough and stern and domineering toward his meek and quiet wife. A language barrier (they only speak Korean), and Jin's stubborn determination to remain isolated from the rest separates them further from the other castaways to a point where it may affect their very survival.

Jin nearly killing Michael a few days in didn't endear him to the castaways, though might have endeared him to the fans had he succeeded.

However, like pretty much everyone else on Lost, there was a lot more to this couple than meets the eye. Through the show's trademark flashbacks, we get to see the true tragedy of Jin & Sun. She was the daughter of an affluent South Korean industrialist/mob boss. He was the son of a fisherman who wants to make more of his life. In his pursuit to provide a life for her, he accepts a job working for her father with the hopes of being able to save up enough money to support both of them. Instead, her father exploits him, using him as a violent enforcer, crushing Jin's spirit. Seeing what her husband has become, Sun grows distant, having an affair and secretly learning English so she can escape her husband and father. Unknown to her, Jin has been planning to escape this life with Sun, hoping to start anew in America.

The Island is a chance for a new beginning for Jin & Sun, though they have a rough time of it. Still stuck in their old mindsets, the various tragedies and mysterious happenings the Island offers force Sun to embrace her independence and Jin to remember the man he used to be. Their love is rekindled, and they even conceive a daughter. This is right around the time the shit hits the, well, you know...

Through some convoluted means I really couldn't adequately explain in this article, Jin & Sun are separated by the Island's time travel magic by 30 years. While Sun seeks out those she thinks are responsible for her husband's "death", Jin must make a life in the 70's in the hopes of one day seeing his wife and daughter again. For nearly two seasons of the show, they are separated by time, each fighting with every fiber of their being to be together, until, of course, through the help of Island (and TV writers) magic, they reunite.


This would be a good time to stop if you want a happy ending.


If you don't, well... ***MAJOR SPOILER ALERT***

Yeah, in the episode right after they reunite, after we're all convinced they're going to live happily ever after (since what sick, sadistic TV writer wouldn't give them a happy ending after the shit they went through), Jin & Sun are trapped on a sinking submarine and drown together, holding hands. It was the saddest possible ending to one of the series' longest running storylines, and was so utterly unexpected it took my breath away. I'm normally so good at predicting what's going to happen on shows, I even got pretty good at Lost after a while, but this, this was a true, and utterly sad, surprise, and solidifies them as one of my favorite fictional couples of all time.
So, dear readers, is there anyone else who cried at Jin & Sun's fate? Are there any other unconventional fictional couples you find romantic? Sound off in the comments below!
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-- Matt Carter

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